


The Sun Sets (in your eyes)

by orphan_account



Series: Cheeseburger (backpack) and Fries [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, ronaldo and mr fryman and pearl are there for like a second
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 12:07:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15773799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ronaldo had joked, "Is he your boyfriend?"God, did he wish.





	The Sun Sets (in your eyes)

Since talking to Steven on brooding hill, the two had started hanging out a lot more. Many evenings had the two (or three, depending on Connie) sitting together in Steven’s room watching tv, or going around town visiting with all the other locals. They’d once walked up and down the boardwalk all night and when he’d gone home, head buzzing from when Steven complimented his sweater (“It matches your eyes! So pretty!”), Ronaldo had joked, “Is he your boyfriend?”

God, did he wish.

The thing was, maybe Steven did like guys. Maybe he didn’t. He definitely wouldn’t be a jerk about Peedee liking him regardless. But he wasn’t going to hit on his first real friend just because he’s got a ridiculously huge crush. And Steven didn’t show any romantic interest in him, or anyone for that matter. Steven was infinitely intriguing to him, not least because of his cheerful disposition and love of seemingly everything.

Steven was incredible. He didn’t know all the details, he wasn’t sure his anxiety could handle it. But Steven was, technically, part alien and that was, well, crazy. The gems kind of scared him, but it was a constant reminder of how much Steven had gone through. He was ridiculously strong, emotionally as well as physically. He was kind of everything Peedee himself wasn’t. 

And yet Steven never acted put upon, or like Peedee was a waste of his time. He always seemed just as delighted to see him as he was of any of his other friends, and Steven had a lot of them. 

Peedee sighed, forgetting momentarily that he wasn’t alone, as lost in his thoughts as he was. Behind him, his dad put what he supposed was supposed to be a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You alright there, Peedee?” he asked, spinning him around to face each other. 

“Yes! I’m fine. Just…” he tried to think up an excuse, but his dad interrupted him. 

“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? Send your brother in, he’s been up at Steven’s all day.” his dad suggested. Peedee appreciated the effort he was making to show that he cared about his well being, but the thought of seeing Steven right now was more anxiety inducing than it should be. He instantly shook his head to argue, to say he was just fine to keep working but his dad had already shoved him out the door and onto the Boardwalk.

Okay. To Steven’s house.

Upon arriving, he could already hear Ronaldo’s wailing. He hesitated just a second before knocking, and the door was almost immediately opened by the tall, skinny Gem. She peered down at Peedee before putting on a polite smile. “Hello, Peedee.” 

“Peedee?” he heard Steven and his brother say in unison, one clearly more excited by his presence than the other. 

Pearl stepped back to allow Peedee in, and he hurried in. “Hi, Steven.” he addressed his friend first. 

“What are you doing here?” Ronaldo asked accusingly from where he was sprawled out on the floor. Peedee stopped to take in the living room, which was a mess of various books and manga and a deck of cards. His brother looked like he’d just ran a marathon, but Steven seemed completely collected. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what he’d just missed. 

“Dad told me I could have the day off, and he wanted you for something.” Peedee explained, not bothering to elaborate. 

Ronaldo let out a loud groan but after another few moments he eventually pulled himself up from the ground and set on his way out. Peedee wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard Pearl mutter an “Oh, thank Goodness.” when his brother had shut the door behind him.

Peedee redirected his attention to Steven. He was picking up the living room, a carefree smile on his face. Peedee thought, certainly not for the first time, that Steven’s smile could light up a room. “Sorry,” Steven apologized as he finished tidying up. “Okay, done. Hi! I didn’t expect to see you today.” He pulled Peedee over to the couch and flopped down onto it. Peedee sat down carefully next to him, noting that Pearl had left at some point while he was swooning. 

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to intrude while you were with Ronaldo.”

Steven waved it off. “He was about to leave anyway. He gets tired out pretty quickly if I don’t interrupt him while he goes on about anime.”

Peedee nodded. It was true. He’d often just let Ronaldo talk until he ran out of steam, which was usually faster than if he’d argued his disinterest. 

“Anyway,” Steven went on. “I’m always happy to see you.”

Peedee felt his face burn as he squeaked out an, “I’m always happy to see you, too.”

They’d gone outside and sat on the beach, which was really the number one thing to do in Beach City. It was easy to get lost in the moment of just being with Steven, it was easy to forget his fears around him. He’d nearly forgotten his reluctance to come over as he listened to Steven. 

The sun was setting, and Peedee appreciated the way the sky reflected on the water and the beach, casting everything in hues of pink and purple. The crashing waves gave him something to set his breathing to, and his fingers lightly traced designs in the sand. 

Steven told him about a new song he was working on, his fingers twitching like he could barely stand not rushing inside to just play it for him. Peedee said he’d wait if he wanted to grab his ukulele, but Steven declined. 

“I don’t really want to move yet. I’m comfortable. Plus, I wouldn’t want to leave you alone.” 

“I’d be fine for a few minutes, you live like, right there.” Peedee answered, motioning back towards the house.

Steven shrugged and looked away. “I know.” He didn’t say anything else on the matter, and it was dropped, but Peedee’s brain locked onto the little interaction and he began over analyzing it before he could stop himself. 

Nothing was likely to happen in the two minutes it would take for Steven to retrieve his instrument. That’s not say that something couldn’t happen, and it wasn’t like there hadn’t been many days before that were completely average until some Gem monster shot out of the ground or flew through the sky or what have you. It happened, but it was rare, even rarer all these years later. 

Still, he supposed that when stopping those creatures is kind of your whole deal, you might be a little overprotective at times. Steven wasn’t super obvious about it, but he worried over his friends’ safety. Mental health seemed just as important to him as physical as well, and he was always ready to make someone else’s problem his. Always the first to ask Peedee if he was really okay the first few times he’d ridden Lion or gone through a Warp Pad. Even now he was careful and considerate of him, not pushing him to talk when he clammed up, which meant a lot to Peedee. 

Lost in thought for the second time that day, he didn’t immediately realize how long the silence had lapsed and that Steven was looking at him intently. 

“You look really nice today.” Steven said quietly, his face dusted with pink. Peedee blinked, pulled out of his thoughts. 

“What?” he asked, not sure he heard correctly. When more pink spread across Steven’s face, he felt his heart stutter. 

“Um, your hair looks super fluffy and, I don’t know? You look, you know, nice.”

Peedee, for his part, stuttered for a minute, words not even taking shape in his mind. “Uh- um, thank you. I think,” he closed his eyes before rushing out. “I think your eyes are really pretty.”

After a second, he opened his eyes to gauge Steven’s reaction. The blush had died down, and he looked just as happy as ever. “Thanks, I really like your eyes, too. I wasn’t sure if that would be a weird thing to admit.” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Well, if it is, we’re both weird.” Peedee replied. Steven made a noise of agreement. He looked as though he were going to say something else, but sighed and shook his head instead. 

“What is it?” Peedee asked. 

Steven looked momentarily conflicted before he just laughed shortly. “I really want to kiss you.” he admitted, watching Peedee’s face closely for any reaction. 

This wasn’t where Peedee thought his day was headed. He hadn’t even expected, hadn’t wanted to see Steven, originally, and now he was sitting next to him on the beach and the object of his reluctant admiration had just said he wanted to kiss him. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was clearly dreaming. 

“Okay.” Peedee answered, fully anticipating waking up as soon as their lips met. 

When soft lips met his chapped ones and he didn’t wake up, his heart pounded and he really took in what was happening. Steven was kissing him. Steven was kissing him and he wasn’t kissing back. He didn’t know how, anyway, as he’d never kissed anyone, had been holding this torch for Steven for so many years and now they were kissing. 

What would his dad think? What would Ronaldo think? 

Hands larger than his own cupped his face and Steven pulled away, checking in. “Peedee?”

Peedee’s eyes darted down to Steven’s lips and back up to his big, brown eyes. Slowly, giving him all the time he needed to back out, Peedee leaned in and pressed his lips to Steven’s again, closing his eyes this time to actually enjoy it like a normal person he was completely capable of being. 

He could feel Steven smile as he kissed back and after a few seconds they broke apart into delighted giggles. 

“You’re so pretty.” Steven said, finally. 

‘You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,’ Peedee thought, smiling brightly back at him. 

The sun had finished setting and Steven offered to walk Peedee home. Standing in front of his house, Steven reached out to grab Peedee’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Today was nice.” he said quietly. 

Peedee nodded. “Text me when you’re home?”

“Of course.” Steven replied, his eyes lowering to Peedee’s lips intentionally. “Goodnight, Peedee.”

Quickly, before he could argue with himself, he gave Steven a peck on the cheek. “Goodnight, Steven.”

He’d practically floated inside his house and threw himself on his bed, a stupid grin he couldn’t get off his face. The day had gone well, much better than he’d expected. His therapist would be pleased, certainly, as he knew there was no way he wouldn’t be in a good mood for at least the next few days. 

It wasn’t long before his phone beeped, and he checked the new text notification immediately. 

It was Steven, asking him if he wanted to hang out tomorrow. He readily accepted before once again telling him goodnight, and settling in to get some sleep.

He was still nervous, to some extent, about seeing him tomorrow. But more than that, he was excited, and that in itself was exciting, because hanging out one on one with anyone was usually a nightmare waiting to happen. Steven made him feel comfortable though, like he truly wouldn’t be judged and could just be himself, which was all he wanted. 

For a second, his thoughts drifted back to his family. His dad didn’t dislike Steven, and in fact was much more accepting of him these days than he had been years ago when the boy had just been a nuisance pounding on his counter and ordering off menu. Ronaldo considered Steven to be a ‘kindred spirit’, which Peedee took as meaning Steven was one of the few people who didn’t mind his rambles about Sailor Moon. They didn’t really seem to care about Peedee suddenly developing a social life, or that the person he was spending so much time with was the half alien that’s family had nearly obliterated the town more than a handful of times. That didn’t mean they’d appreciate seeing him kiss Steven. 

But then, he supposed what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

**Author's Note:**

> i had two paragraphs of this written and just sitting in my google docs because i was frustrated with the direction i wanted it to go. (originally it was supposed to be more about peedee and ronaldo's relationship and how they get along) i decided to turn it into a fluffy first kiss story and move on with my life. hopefully part three wont take as long as this did. reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated xx


End file.
